Biographical Sketch of Arnold Schoenberg - Essay Example

Running head: Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) A Biographical Sketch of Arnold Schoenberg Insert February 18, Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) Arnold Schoenberg is one of the key figures in the history of music that made significant contribution towards the development of the genre in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The artist composed music in different styles attracting a mixture of reactions from the audience including students, friends, and other Viennese audiences. Some of his works later contributed to hatred from his musical enemies. The early life and music Arnold Schoenberg was born to a merchant Samuel Schoenberg and Pauline in Vienna, Austria, on September 13, 1874 (ThinkQuest, para.1). Schoenberg was born in a family that had no particular musical history (Rovi Corporation, para.2). His father died in 1890 when he was aged 16 after which he became an apprentice with some bank shortly. As such, he had to learn much of the music styles through self-teaching and reliance on friends. The artist learnt to play violin and began to compose at the early age of eight years (ThinkQuest, para.1). He had shown aptitude for music composition at the early age. He also began to learn and acquire skills from his friends. One of the artists who helped him develop his talents was Oskar Adler, who gave him rudimentary instructions in harmony and counterpoint (Rovi Corporation, para.2). In 1891, Schoenberg joined the orchestra “Polyhymnia” and met Alexander von Zemlinsky, the conductor of the orchestra; they would be friends throughout their lives (ThinkQuest, para.1). Zemlinsky, who would later be his brother-in-law, taught Schoenberg composition skills. This was the only formal instruction of this nature that the artist received in music. The early works of the artist in this career involved teaching privately and in other institutions and occasionally orchestrating operettas. He was a conductor of the metalworker-choir. Schoenberg got married to Zemlinsky’s sister, Mathilde, in 1901 and he moved with his wife to Berlin. The marriage was shaken at one point whereby Mathilde got married to another artist. They reunited later before her death in 1923. Schoenberg later got married ten months later to another woman, a sister to another artist. Music styles Schoenberg developed his first original composition, some few piano pieces, at the age of twenty. The early musical compositions by this artist bore the image of the German Romanticism. This was particularly evident in his first composition Verklarte Nacht, Op.4 composed in 1899. This work was romantic and rich in harmony and color making this earlier work to be easy to comprehend and listen to (ThinkQuest, para.7). In the later developments, the artist concentrated in atonal music that did not have the structure of the traditional tonality. This formed the basis of criticism from his detractors. Nonetheless, the style attracted a large faithful following. He became an instructor in music. Some of the active followers would later become his pupils after establishing his private institution. The two most identifiable pupils of the artist are Alban Berg an Anton Webern. The two pupils developed their skills in music and would later match their trainer in style and composition ability. Working together, the three musical composers were the corner stones in the development of the atonal and 12-tone music that rocked the music industry in the first half of the twentieth century While in Berlin, Schoenberg was appointed to teach at Stern Academy in Berlin (ThinkQuest, para.3). In 1903, he returned to Vienna and established a private teaching academy. Berg and Webern became his first pupil. Schoenberg received further support from Zemlensky and another friend, Gustav Mahler, towards the real composition of atonal pieces (ThinkQuest) Gustav Mahler was the director of court opera. Schoenberg had now begun to move away from tonality towards atonal composition. He later composed some works and performed in a legendary in 1908 that were not received well by the press and the member of public. The two works were String Quarter #2, op.10 and The Chamber Symphony, Op.9. He was insulted by the public while performing this composition. The press later described the artist as having unsound mind (ThinkQuest, para.7). These mixed reactions drew the artist back to a drawing board. He began exploring and adventuring into different music styles to understand how the mixed flavors would be received by the public. In 1912, Schoenberg returned to Berlin and continued experimenting on various styles of music. He composed a vocalization from a mixture of speech and singer as was seen in Pierrot Lunaire. The idea seemed to work well. In this piece of work, ‘the mixture of speech and song produces an eerie effect and drives forth the pieces portrayal of a creeping madness taking over a person’ (ThinkQuest, para.7). Though it still appeared difficult to comprehend, this work was attractive to listeners. The twenties saw the beginning of his works in the dodecaphonic serial method (Schwartz, para.6). Schoenberg developed the first completely 12-tone composition between 1921 and 1923. This composition, Suite for Piano, would remain a manifestation of the composer’s main characteristic style in music. The 12-tone technique became the style associated with Schoenberg’s music throughout his life. The artist employed the technique in the composition of his works in different musical genres. The technique was applied in the various Chamber works such as String Quartet No.4 developed in 1936 (G. Schirmer Inc) and Fantasy for Violin and Piano composed in 1949. It was also applied in orchestral works such as Violin Concerto of 1935 and Piano Concerto of 1942. The artist also applied the style in his choral works. All these compositions had thematic and 12-tone structures that paralleled the role played by traditional tonality (G. Schirmer Inc,). In opera setting, Schoenberg showed his inclination to atonality and 12-tone technique in Moses und Aron (ThinkQuest). The poem was among the many works of the artist received negatively by much audience at his time. Life in the United States and his death The political atmosphere became intensified in Europe for Schoenberg with the coming into power of the Nazi. Following the increasing Nazi terror, Schoenberg had to flee the region in 1933 to stay in the United States (G. Schirmer Inc). He was from the Jewish family but had converted to Protestantism, even though it had not been on the limelight. At first, Schoenberg fled to France from Germany before settling in Los Angeles, USA (Schwartz, para.4). He became the citizen of US through naturalization in 1941. He would spend the remaining part of his life in the States. While in the United States, the artist taught for some short period at Malkin Conservatory in Boston. Due to his health problems, he was unable to stay in Boston and moved to Los Angeles in 1934 (G. Schirmer Inc,). While in Los Angeles, Schonberg taught at various institutions like University of Southern California and University of California. He also taught music in his private academy. In as much as many people can associate the name Schoenberg to serialism ad The Second Viennese School, the artist’s works while in the United States had a mixture of flavors (G. Schirmer Inc). For this later part of his career and staying outside Europe, Schoenberg would occasionally compose some work with the traditional tonality to show that he was still attached to the traditional culture of the German music. This was seen in his 1943 composition, Theme for Variation Band. Other works indicating a return to tonality included The Chamber Symphony No.2 (1939), Suite for String Orchestra (19343), Concerto for Cello (933), and Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (1933) (G. Schirmer Inc). The artist was firm in his position in tonality. He observed that the developments that were being recorded in the Western music were responsible for the termination of this traditional style of music. He refuted the allegations by his detractors affirming that his music styles were driven by creativity and musical innovation that were essential for music development. Nonetheless, in spite of the critiques from various people, the life, and works of this nineteenth and twentieth century musician was inspirational to the other artists within and outside the field of music. Among the famous works of the artists are Moses und Aron, Gurrelieder, Five Pieces for Orchestra, First string Quartet, and Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) (ThinkQuest). Towards his death, Schoenberg began composing religious pieces such as A Survivor from Warsaw (ThinkQuest). He remains a legend in the history of music. Schoenberg died on July 13, 1951, in Los Angeles, CA at the age of 76. Works cited G. Schirmer Inc. Arnold Schoenberg. 2010. Web. 18 February 2012. http://www.schirmer.com/default.aspx?TabId=2419&State_2872=2&ComposerId_2872=1390 Rovi Corporation. Arnold Schoenberg- Biography. 2012. Web. 18 February 2012. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/arnold-schoenberg-q7950 Schwartz, Steve. Arnold Schoenberg (1074-1951). Classical Net. 2012. Web. 18 February 2012. http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/schoenberg.php ThinkQuest. Arnold Schoenberg. 2012. Web. 18 February 2012. http://library.thinkquest.org/27110/noframes/composers/schoenberg.html Read More